Decluttering my life!

WHY WE SHOULD DECLUTTER

First of all, lets start with a few important questions:

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The Garage clean up

What is decluttering?

For me decluttering is turning chaos into serenity

Why do we clutter?

  • Fear of loosing something that might come to use in the future
  • Illusion of creating stability/structure by always having what is needed
  • Fear to not have something that we need
  • Illusion of being successful

The evil outcome of clutter:   STRESS which leads to ANXIETY which leads to DEPRESSION

Forms of cluttering:  a busy house, a busy lifestyle, a busy work setup, demanding friends stealing energy.

Where to start?

  • Start at the place which is your comfort zone – your home
  • Never pick a single day to do everything
  • Set up 1 hour before bed and choose a part of you home to declutter e.g. start with your wardrobe, 2 shelves. 

How to declutter your home – step 1 of decluttering:

  • Have I used this within the past 12 months?  Yes, keep it.  No, chuck it!
  • Am I thinking twice about the item?  Chuck it!
  • Donating to a charity organisation will make it much easier
  • Giving an item to a close friend/family member will make it easier and at the same time might mean the world to them – a remembrance
  • Remember, it will make your life more simple, less stress, just do it!

How to declutter your life:

This is a much more difficult topic to cover but if you have accomplished step 1 you are ready for the next step

  • Identify the things that are making you anxious e.g. work, colleagues, friends, traffic etc.
  • Determine how to remove the negative things from your life
  • Stop trying to please everyone
  • Stop chasing money and possessions
  • Don’t try to do everything in one day
  • Spend more quality time with your children and family, talk more, listen more and laugh more
  • Leave iPads, tablets, phones at home when going somewhere OR visit places without signal
  • Find the quality in minimalism

Outcome: 

Calmer, happier, patient, relaxed ME —> husband —> children —> family.

This is such a difficult step to take in life, but so crucial to do. Remember life is short, be happy 🙂

This is my personal findings when I started packing up our lives, I would love to hear your comments or stories on decluttering!

12 thoughts on “Decluttering my life!”

    • uslovingwanderlust says:
      Reply

      Ek het hoeveel keer probeer en was elke keer net moedeloos totdat ek besluit het, vandag 2 kombuislaaie, more nog ‘n laai. Ek het alles wat ek dubbel gehad het eenkant gesit vir charity. Die mense was SO dankbaar. Sterkte 🙂

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  3. Mariette van Wyk says:
    Reply

    Hi Eben, Melanie, Kayla en Megan, ek dink ek weet waarvan julle praat! Ek het geen idee wat in die “container” is wat hier gaan aankom nie…Rudi sê wat ons nie gemis het in die afgelope 3 jaar nie, gaan ons nie mis nie!! Ons verlang na julle en hoop julle kom ‘n draai maak in Denver!!!

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  4. Bianca Olivier says:
    Reply

    Meggie , Kayla, Tannie Melanie en Oom Eben, ek hoop julle travel lekker en veilig! Ek wens om eendag in julle voetspore te volg dit sal amazing wees! Geniet die avontuur en weet net ek gaan verlang!

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  5. Lizell Aikman says:
    Reply

    My maklike manier, pak tas met klere wat jy elke dag dra.
    Gee sleutels vir huis en kar vir vriendin/hospice en deel hul mee hul kan vat, weggee of koop.
    Geen stres en baie gou.
    Nou al n paar keer gedoen en gaan weer volgende maand die proses herhaal. Die keer hou ek darem die kar.
    Ek noem dit:pay it forward, the lazy way

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